gluten free garlic bread - i saved the frozen "butts" of the udi's sandwich bread, spread earth's best natural buttery spread & garlic salt over one side and baked them with the broccoli for about 5 minutes.

it's the first 100% happy family eating dinner since we started 52 days ago...

Monday, October 29, 2012

oh my lord, who doesn't like donuts? i have not chowed on them for quite a while, but i am known to cheat on my primal-ness from time to time:) tommy's preschool held a bake sale fundraiser last week and i decided to tackle the babycakes plain cake donut.

here is my donut adventure.

just look at the difference in color between organic sugar and regular refined sugar. no bleach or chemicals sure makes a difference...

i substituted cup 4 cup flour which has milk powder in it for the various flours on my first try. it worked well, as it is a wonderful mix. i am not sure if i will be buying it again, it's just really expensive.

they turned out moist and yummy, not bad for the first round!

i made my frosting and had to throw it out because i (AGAIN DARNIT!!!) forgot to check my lemon juice...sodium bisulfate & benzoate strikes again.

mother in the truckers.

that is definitely poo poo.

needless to say, the first round donuts remained un-iced and they were still gobbled up by the family.

round 2

i followed the recipe to a T this time around and used all of the various gluten free/diary free flours.

note: wipe the little donut middle/top from batter!

i am learning that i have neverreally have been miss precise with my baking measurements.

i decided to tap the measuring cups to get the flour to settle down and use a knife (like the author suggests!) to also level off the flour. what a pain, but wow does it work! this was a much looser mix compared to the first round.

notice a little concave action!?!? initially, i did not tap and carefully measure the brown rice flour. it was the first flour i measured and was much more careful for the rest of the flours. i can't wait to make these again because now i have my measuring groove on.

i added a little more rice flour to my last batch and they turned out great. my little 1 inch ice cream scooper is a freakin dream. i will never make cookies or donuts without them.

e.v.e.r.

i filled a few donuts too high, got a little crazy with my scooper:)

note:

to get the donuts out without sticking, i just twisted them a bit in the pan before i scooped them out. worked like a charm.

so i just trimmed the fat a little...

haha, the big guys didn't make it too well...the missing flour was the culprit! see what i mean? gluten free baking is kinda bitchy:) but oh so worth it.

ta dah!!!!!!

and here are the finished little packages:

i covered them with an organic sugar/cinnamon mix, stacked them 3 high and stuck the halloween themed toothpicks down the middle. the toothpicks and cupcake papers came as a set from target.

no cheating on the feingold diet, but we do cheat sometimes with the primal stuff:) i do like to bake!

for example, i will continue to cook gluten free and i am going to start experimenting with spelt flour which is also used in wheat free cooking. I just found out that even some celiac's can tolerate this type of medeval cereal grain.

this has been a LONG journey, but the best one i have ever taken and i am just finding my stride...whoop whooop!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

I have some exciting news. . . Abbie is doing such a great job in my reading group and making great gains in reading, that we believe she does not need to be in tier 3 (the most intensive intervention) any longer. Today she read a level D (end of kindergarten level) book with me. I discussed her progress with the classroom teacher and the other reading specialists, and we decided that Abbie can move into a tier 2 group with children from her class at her same level on Monday. I will let Abbie know about this change tomorrow. I am sad that Abbie won't be in my group anymore, but am so excited that she is making progress! Thanks to you and Chris for working with her at home and making so many changes that are helping her at school.

***

we had eaten all of the last batch of ice cream so of course, it was time to make some more!!!!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

i have been substituting sucanat for brown sugar (prefect 1-1 ratio) and i don't think i have explained what the heck sucanat even is for anyone...sorry bout that peeps.

here is the description on the bag:

organic sucanant - dried sugar cane juice

"organic sucanat is produced by simply crushing the freshly-cut sugar cane to squeeze out the juice, heating until it is reduced to a thick syrup and then hand-paddling to create the porous sucanat granules. sucanat is a dried whole can sugar that has not been separated or blended, basically nothing has been added and nothing taken out!"

sucanat stands for sugar cane natural.

i will never have brown sugar in the house again after using this stuff.

Monday, October 15, 2012

i have tried a few gluten free recipes that completely bombed the world over here.

i am excited to try these plain!

the previous waffle recipes came out "gross" as my children like to say, hard, non-tasting cardboard things that looked great in the pictures but not so much in real life. i am so happy that these are the complete opposite. reason numero uno why the mullies will be keeping up this gluten free nonsense.

oh babycakes, i must now find your first cookbook and buy it immediately.

notes:

i only used 3/4 cup tiny chocolate chips (it says 1 cup) and i really only need to use 1/4 to 1/2 cup tops.

these are totally great snacks! no syrup needed!!

mullies update:

this is all still a total pain in my arse.

but, it is getting easier & perhaps more enjoyable to cook and plan meals - as i'm not being met with daggers and shields at meal time.

the kids are finally becoming more willing to try new things. or i have become less emotional, panicked and/or angry when they don't eat. they know the rules: must try ONE bite, sometimes two or three depending on how much of a "stretch" the meal is for them. i make sure to have food they do want to eat and i blackmail them as unemotionally as i can so that they feel they have control over the situation and what they get to eat.

abbie and tommy are not as good as mac is when i put a new plate of food in front of them.

must be an age thing?

abbie has stopped slinking down in her seat (with major drama) and will now cautiously & politely (95% of the time) assess the situation, and let mac take the first bite to see if he keels over and dies from poison.

since people will look at you weird when you offer them squash cookies (believe me, they will retract their hand), tell them they are fall spice cookies and see if they can guess what the secret ingredient is.

kurt was the closest, he said pumpkin!

notes:

i roasted them on convection, cut side down at 375 degrees. didn't add any butter, oil or anything.

i had a ton of leftovers as a doubled recipe only called for 2 cups of cooked squash. so i measured out and bagged a cup full of squash per baggie and froze them for my next batch. i have 6 cups frozen right now, ready for more cookies, soup or whatevs.

i am so smart.

i substituted sucanat for the brown sugar and used coconut oil.

this is a hefty dough - very happy i have a hefty mixer.

the babycakes cookbook i just purchased talked about a 1 inch ice-cream scooper being a "must have" and i have to say, this this is my new best friend when it comes to scooping cookies.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

notes:
i used 3 mediumish potatoes and filled 3 trays.
tossed em in a bowl with evoo.
sprinkled coarse salt and fresh ground pepper on top (just one side was enough).
flipped them after 10 minutes (don't try to do in the oven...take em out and flip them).
cooked them for another 9 minutes.
375 degrees on my multi level convection setting

i made them before we went out on the town. our wonderful babysitter served them up....of course i forgot the all cooked up and done picture...i'll add it someday when i make them again. sorry charlies.

not only did she have a great week, but she was retested in reading....and wait for it....

prior to our food revolution, her english reading was at level A & she would not even attempt spanish (reading levels go through the alphabet as difficulty increases). she is now testing at level C for english and A+ for spanish!! she is also much more engaged and is really trying hard to do well. total huge, mega change and we couldn't be more excited.

you know when you get a new car and feel so great about it and then you start driving and everyone has that same car all of a sudden? it's everywhere and why didn't i notice before??!!! or you have babies on the brain and all of sudden all you see are pregnant women everywhere!!???

well, now that my eyes have been opened, everywhere i look i am finding out more and more and more...sometimes i just have to laugh! remember the first batman movie and people start dying because of the combo of products but together are toxic?

now that we are into our 2nd month, i am happy to say i am beginning to adjust and that i am super crazy lucky my hubbie signed on. cuz if he didn't, i would be up poo creek in cheetos still.

definitely would have given up, no doubt.

speaking of cheetos, smokin hot article about them in the chicago trib today.

see what i mean dog?

here is the article my dad sent me and this is how i found the feingold institute.